


Reading the altered stories - Slytherin style

by TealAlex (GoldenTealPanther)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bad Albus Dumbledore, Bad Ron Weasley, Characters Reading Harry Potter Books, F/F, F/M, Female Harry Potter, Genius Harry Potter, Good Hermione Granger, Harry Potter Characters Read The Books, James Potter Lives, Lily Evans Potter Lives, M/M, Magically Powerful Harry Potter, Meddling Albus Dumbledore, Multi, Nice Petunia Dursley, Nice Severus Snape, Not Canon Compliant, Politically powerful Harry Potter, Remus Lupin Lives
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-18
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2020-12-22 20:04:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21082334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoldenTealPanther/pseuds/TealAlex
Summary: What would happen if a different harry potter universe read their different books? Prepare to see the characters in a new light...





	1. The Boy Who Learnt

It was lunchtime in the Great hall and by some magical coincidence that only happens when the author is too lazy to come up with any other idea, everyone was there. It was the start of Harry’s seventh year (Just a warning, this is very different from the actual book) and she was already bored.

Ron and Ginny were muttering about something to the side, probably how to steal more money, Harry thought, she knew all about the meddling but took a very Slytherin approach towards it. Just as lunch was about to end Dumbledore rose. The hall quieted down immediately and Harry silently groaned, this would be good.

“It’s nice to see so many smiling young faces,” he began, “and I just wanted to say that we’ll be reading a book on the life of a student of your choosing this month. Please cast your votes by writing a name on the parchment in front of you.” he sat down and noise rose in the great hall once again.

Harry smirked as she wrote down her name, her full name, on the parchment in elegant flowing script. This could reveal everything and he wouldn’t have to do a single thing! 

A few moments later all the votes had been cast and the results shown in silver letters. They read Harry Potter. Of course, they did.

As a pile of books thudded in front of everyone Dumbledore spoke again.

“ Now, let us begin!” He cast a spell so the book would read out itself, pausing whenever someone spoke. Harry snorted, it was a very basic spell. 

  
  


**Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were sad to say that they were perfectly boring, sorry. **

“Hang on!” The Weasley twins cried out, “they despise everything abnormal!” They shared a glance with Harry. 

A low murmur broke out in the hall.

**They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious because they just didn't come into contact with it that often.**

“Seems more likely,” was the general murmur around the hall from those who had guessed at what Harry’s home life was like.

**Mr Dursley was believed to be the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills. He was a big, strong man with a large shaggy beard and rippling muscles. Mrs Dursley was slender, with inky black hair and had warm violet eyes that oozed care and compassion. The Dursleys had a small son called Diego and in their opinion, there was only one finer child anywhere. **

At this murmurs broke out again and all who had seen the Dursleys frowned. That wasn’t what they looked like. 

However, at the teacher’s table, all bar Dumbledore and Hagrid exchanged smirks. This would be a good read.

**The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest hope was that somebody would discover it. They thought how wonderful it would be if anyone found out about the Potters. **

Most of the students spat out their drink and Dumbledore was suddenly so thankful for his almost foolproof idea to put hate influencers on the family.

**Mrs Potter was Mrs Dursley's triplet, but they hadn't met for several years; Mrs Dursley often acted like they were still close though, because her sister and her wonderful husband were everything you could wish for from a family. The Dursleys loved to think what the neighbours would say if the Potters arrived in the street. **

Again Dumbledore was thankful for the potions and compulsions. How else was Harry meant to be abused if the family were nice? 

**The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small child, too, but they had never even seen it. This child was the unfortunate reason for keeping the Potters away; they were already too powerful to not cause trouble with accidental magic, even before their first birthday.**

Harry exchanged a smirk with Snape as she saw Dumbledore sigh in relief. The blocks were off her magic thank you very much.

**When Mr and Mrs Dursley woke up on a rainy, dark Tuesday our story started. There was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr Dursley hummed as he picked out his most colourful tie for work, and Mrs Dursley laughed away happily as she helped a chattering Diego into his high chair. **

At this the unknowing became more confused while those who knew stifled giggles knowing what this story would reveal.

**Both noticed a large, black owl soar past the window and exchanged hopeful glances. **

Dumbledore became even more thankful for the wards 

**At half-past eight, Mr Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Diego good-bye but missed, because Diego was now painting, and paint was flying everywhere. **

**"My little tyke," chortled Mr Dursley as he left their house. He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive. **

**It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar -- a cat reading a map. For a second, Mr Dursley didn't recognise it -- then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, and he instantly remembered her. What could he say though? It would be better to let Petunia do the talking, he thought. Mr Dursley smiled and winked at the cat. It winked back. As Mr Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive --had she been looking for them? Mr Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he thought of his true job and his family.**

**But on the edge of town, his family was driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of witches and wizards. They were easily recognisable in brightly coloured cloaks. Mr Dursley was always curious about the events surrounding the magical world’s choice to remain hidden. He supposed this was an important day, either a special event or finally deciding to stop hiding. America had done that years ago and Ilvermorny was now a joint magic and Muggle school. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these cloaked magic-users standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together. Mr Dursley was excited to see that a couple of them weren't young (and therefore reckless) at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak! Huh. Then it struck Mr Dursley that this was probably some miracle -- these people were obviously celebrating something as the wizarding world was still backwards if they still wore cloaks. . . yes, that would be it. He thought back to home in the USA where all the witches and wizards wore uniforms of dragon scales, with jackets and utility belts. The traffic moved on, ignoring Benjamin’s thoughts, and a few minutes later, Mr Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind mostly returned to his family.**

**Mr Dursley always sat facing the viewing screen in his office on the ninth basement floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it easier to concentrate on work that morning. He saw the owls swooping past in broad daylight, as did people down in the street; they pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owls after owls sped overhead. Most of them had never seen an owl even at nighttime. Mr Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal morning. He helped five different people. He made several important telephone calls to people like Lord Malfoy and Lady Greengrass (two important figures in the wizarding world) and lectured a bit more. He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road to buy himself and his co-worker Mr Longbottom a butterbeer, with Lord Malfoy requesting Fishy Green ale and Lady Greengrass asking for a pint of Wizard’s Brew, from the local pub. **

**He'd forgotten all about the probably lost until he passed a group of them next to the pub. He eyed them curiously as he passed. He hoped this lot wasn’t too drunk, given they were hanging around the pub a lot. This bunch, however, were whispering excitedly and he couldn't see a single wand. It was on his way back past them, the drinks in his charmed satchel, that he managed to listen in on a few words of what they were saying. **

**"The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard--"**

**"-- yes, their son, Harry--"**

**Mr Dursley stopped dead. How stupid were these people? He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it. **

**He strolled back across the road, sauntered up to his office, politely asked his secretary not to disturb him, took a pot of floo powder off the mantelpiece and flung some in the fire, calling out his wife's name. A moment later the fire turned green and two faces appeared in the fireplace.**

**“Minnie,” he asked the older woman, “what happened to Lillianna and Jaymin?” **

**The professor sighed before answering.**

**“They were part of a plot to gain world domination - “**

**At that Iris snorted, “Lillianna was always part of those plots, mostly on the dominating side, so what specifically occurred, and did it involve our uncle Tom?”**

**“Yeah,” the professor nodded, “They were killed and when their child was tried to be killed they survived.”**

**There was a moment of silence before Petunia burst into laughter.**

**“Oh Auntie Minnie,” she chuckled, “that wasn’t my sister. My sister was the Mistress of Death so she couldn’t be killed. On top of that she was an Unspeakable that specialised in lifelike cloning, and to top of the trilogy, she also had a gorgeous daughter called Harmony.”**

**The older woman joined in the laughing but Vernon was still puzzled.**

**“So why do people think they’re dead?” he asked.**

**His wife just gave him a flat look, “It’s easier to work undercover when you are believed dead. Think that’s the way the rest of the marauders are going.”**

**At that, all three began to laugh again, and his wife ended the call shortly after.**

**Moments later a knock hit the door.**

**“Come in,” Vernon said as he straightened his pink tie with cartoon cars on it.**

**At that, the door opened by itself and an arrogant looking man with a pale pointed face and cold grey eyes. He looked like the type to bribe and bully his way to the puppet masters strings.**

**The man sat opposite Benjamin and silence ruled for several minutes. Then Benjamin spoke up and held his hand out, palm facing up.**

**“I am Fangs and I solemnly swear to stand by the pack.”**

**A brief moment of silence before the man too held out his palm millimetres away from Vernon’s and repeated the phrase.**

**“My name is Venom and I solemnly swear to stand by the pack.”**

**At that, both men relaxed considerably and Vernon leaned closer. The grey-eyed man smirked and his appearance melted away to show bright pink spiky hair and glowing blue eyes. **

**“How’s everyone doing, Lucius?” Vernon asked.**

**At that, the man sighed and ran a hand through his hair. **

**“I’m assuming you don’t already know about any of our actual names yet, Benjamin?” he asked and Benjamin (known to others as Vernon) shook his head.**

**“Nope, sorry. Iris may know a bit more but my works on the other side of the pond mainly!” he laughed.**

**“Right then,” Lucas continued, “This may be a long explanation.”**

**Both men leaned back in their chairs and Benjamin pulled out a dark brown stick. He gave it a casual flick and a teacup full of hot cocoa appeared, as well as the drink Lord Malfoy requested floated over to him. The other drinks disappeared in a pop, likely to the one who asked for it. Lucas was clearly curious about the teacup but it was only shown through the slight rise of an eyebrow. Benjamin smirked and motioned to the door.**

**The duo sat in silence for a minute or two before the door was flung open and an incredibly feminine-looking man with loose brown curls and warm amber eyes strolled in, a black-haired girl on his hip and a brunette girl on his shoulders. The girls looked no older than four.**

**“Aww,” Lucius cooed, “are these Aquila and Theodora?”**

**The man smiled softly and nodded, before turning to Benjamin.**

**“Shall we let Lucius continue with his explanation? It’s fairly complicated so I’ve been brought in to help with details.”**

**Benjamin nodded and Lucas began.**

**“Right now at the school only Professor McGonnagal, Professor Sprout, Professor Flitwick and Professor Slughorn know about our true identities outside the pack. They are out base in the school and we call them Lioness, Raven, Badger and Snake. It just helps with writing coded letters.**

**Lily and James, next I think. Lily is neither an Evans or a Lily. Her name is Lilliannana Prince and her husband is Jaymin Potter-Peverall. She is believed to be a stay at home Mom with an Auror husband. In reality, both are Unspeakables called Fireball and Mist. Lillianna recently gave birth to a stunning baby girl called Harmony. She has a drop of our entire pack’s blood - except mine and my wife’s - running through her and is the future lady to all our houses, no matter if our personal children are older. Ryker?” **

**He turned to the man that had entered last and he shrugged.**

**“Lillianna’s a fire elemental and a Phoenix animagus called Fireball and Jaymin is a stag animagus called Chaos, but you got everything else.”**

**Lucas nodded and started again, Benjamin listening with rapt attention.**

**“Next is Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. Do you know anything about either?”**

**Benjamin nodded, “I know all that Lillianna mentioned to Iris while she was at school but only that they were pining for each other after graduating. Oh! Remus was a werewolf!”**

**Lucas smirked a toothy smile and Ryker blushed a deep red.**

**“Sirius Black is actually called Sirius Black-Hufflepuff, yeah, his Slytherin family are all Hufflepuff descendants. He’s a Grim animagus called Padfoot and is pretty much the same as people think he is, exept for being a lot more caring, getting along with his family and Gay.”**

**At that Benjamin spat out his butterbeer. Lucius glared at him and vanished the drink before continuing.**

**“Remus is married to Sirius and is a wolf animagus called Lunar. They are genderfluid but always called Ryker. Ryker Lupin-Ravenclaw. They have two daughters called Aquila and Theodore, who prefers to be called Teddy. Little Teddy’s a metamorphous like her father.”**

**Benjamin glanced over to Ryker who was now so red it was impressive. Both girls were curled into his chest asleep.**

**“I’m going to tell you the rest now so please don’t interrupt. Severus Snape is really called Sebastian Prince and the oldest triplet. He has taken the potions position at Hogwarts but has to act like a biased pureblood. He is really just a big softie and married Amy Bones a few years ago and has a daughter called Nicolas, or Nicole. Their marriage is not known about nor is Nicole. He is a panther animagus called Onyx and Amy is a Fox called Justice.**

**My name is believed to be Lucius Malfoy and my wife is Narcissa Malfoy nee Black. In reality, I am Lucas Malfoy-Griffindor with a wife of Alacissa Malfoy nee Black. We have a son called Draconis, but we always call him Coco, and my wife just gave birth to our daughter Bailey, who we call Leya. The public only knows about Draconis but think we have right stuck-up purebloods. I work in the ministry while Alacissa is secretly a healer. I am a Basilisk called Venom and she is a Unicorn called Whisper.**

**The other Ali is Alicia Longbottom nee Prewett, who people call Alice, who recently married Freddie Longbottom, who people call Frank. They have two children called Noctus and Katherine. Noctus is known as Neville and Katherine is not known at all. The adults have the same fake jobs as Lillianna and Jaymin. Alicia is a badger called Poison Ivy and Freddie is an ox called Du.**

**Our resident auror reader, Pandora is really called Pandalia Fawley. She is a charm developer and married Xenophilius Lovegood. Currently, she is pregnant with her daughter, Star Fawley-Lovegood. Her form is an arctic fox called Dreamer.**

**Carla Greengrass is really Kira Greengrass nee Shafiq. She has two daughters Daphne - actually Darcy - and Astoria - actually Astrid - and she is a Husky animagus called Icebolt.**

**Isabella Riddle nee Black is thought to be Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black. She’s having a lot of fun pretending to be insane right now - it’s so realistic. She married Lillianna’s Uncle Tom a few years ago and they now have a teenage daughter called Delphi. Tom is also using the cover of lord Voldemort to work and assemble teams. Isabella’s animagus form is a raven called Karma and Tom isn’t a marauder but is a black Phoenix.**

**Arthur and Molly Weasly are really called Aaron Weasley and Milli Weasley nee Prewett. They currently have five children: Benji Weasly (William Weasley), Carly Weasley (Charlus Weasley), Pietro Weasley (Perciville Weasley) and the newest twins Logan and Finley (George and Frederic). Aaron fakes working in the Ministry but is an unspeakable called Ghost with an animagus of a Thesteral called Techno. Milli is a Bear called Hugs. She is so fluffy it’s unreal!**

**Amelia Bones is actually Amy Prince nee Bones and she married Sebastian Prince. That’s everyone.” Lucas finished speaking.**

**Benjamin smirked and Ryker shook his head sadly.**

**“I am a Hellhound called fangs and my wife is a Siberian tiger called charmer. Now that’s everyone.”**

**Lucas just rolled his eyes and stood up, Ryker following. As nice as this meeting had been they really needed to get going.**

**After that meeting, Benjamin found it a lot harder to concentrate on work and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door. **

**"Sorry," he apologised quickly, as the tiny man stumbled and almost fell. It was a few seconds before Mr Dursley (Mr Dursleys real name) realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice that made passersby stare, "Don't be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last! Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating this happy, happy day!"**

**And the old man hugged Mr Dursley around the middle and walked off. **

**Mr Dursley rolled his eyes at the charms teacher's joyful attitude and walked back to his car. As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw -- and it made him laugh -- was the tabby cat he'd spoken to earlier in the fireplace. The Professor was now sitting on his garden wall. He knew it was her; the markings were the same around her eyes. **

**"Really? Would you like to come in? " muttered Mr Dursley loudly.**

**The cat smirked and strolled through the open door. It gave him a stern look as she passed. This was normal McGonagall behaviour. Mr Dursley smiled. Trying to not laugh, he let himself into the house. He didn’t bother his wife as he told her at lunchtime already.**

**Mrs Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner about Mrs Next Door's likely magical daughter Hermione and how Diego had learned a new word ("Thanks!"). Mr Dursley tried to act normally as the cat made herself at home on the sofa. When Diego had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news:**

**"And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern. " The newscaster allowed himself a grin. "Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?"**

**"Well, Ted," said the weatherman, "I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars! Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early -- it's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight. "**

**Mr Dursley sat smirked in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters. . . **

**Mrs Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea and a saucer of scotch. This was funny. **

**“People are going to start thinking that this has something to do with Harmony and Dumb-as-a-door, eh Iris, Minnie?” he asked.**

**As he had expected, Mrs Dursley smirked. After all, they spoke about this earlier. **

**"What specifically?" she said. **

**"Magic related stuff on the news," Mr Dursley snorted. "Owls. . . shooting stars. . . and there were a lot of stupidly dressed people in town today. . . "**

**"Huh?" Mrs Dursley grinned, “don’t you teach people how to fit in Minnie?”**

**The cat snorted into her scotch.**

**Mrs Dursley sipped her tea through pink lips. Mr Dursley wondered whether he should tell her he'd heard everyone refer to her niece as a boy. He decided he didn't dare ask directly. Instead, he said, as casually as he could, "Their daughter-- she'd be about Diego's age now, wouldn't she?"**

**"I suppose so," said Mrs Dursley smiled, “I don’t actually know.” **

**"What's her name again? Harmony, isn't it?"**

**"Harmony, yes. Lovely regal sounding name, if you ask me. "**

**"Oh, yes," said Mr Dursley, his lips widening into a smirk. "Yes, I quite agree. "**

**He didn't say another word on the subject, only laughing, as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr Dursley opened the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat walked out of the catflap and sat on the wall again as if she hadn’t spent the day gossiping and then drunk enough to get Hagrid drunk. She was staring down Privet Drive as though she were waiting for something. **

**What had Dumb-as-a-door done now? Could it have anything to do with the Potters? If it did. . . he would pay for ever hurting his sister-in-pack and her husband.**

**Sighing, he silently came out of the bathroom, closed the window and walked downstairs, fully aware of Ivy following him. Opening the front door he looked directly at the cat. **

**“We will protect her to the best of our abilities but he wants the girl to be a moldable puppet and thinks she’s a boy. Please pretend that we’re awful and muggles,” he said bluntly. **

**There was a pause, and then the cat nodded slowly, as if it didn’t want to agree but knew it was for the best.**

**Upon returning upstairs, the Dursleys got into bed. Mrs Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that despite it being certain the Potters were involved, there was no logical reason for them to come near him and Mrs Dursley. Everyone knew very well what he and Petunia pretended to think about them and their kind. . . He knew deep down that he and Petunia were going to get mixed up in everything that was going on -- he yawned and turned over -- it would be the only solution in dumb-as-a-door’s mind.**

** How very right he was. **

**Mr Dursley might have been drifting into a deep sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. She didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all. **

**A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed in irritation. **

**Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. Minnie had broken it at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore. **

**Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome, and not just by the muggles. He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still glaring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known. "**

**He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. He clicked it again -- the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, only the sharp-eyed Mrs Dursley would have been able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it. **

**"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall. "**

**He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead, he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, a furry emerald one. Her wavy black hair was drawn into a loose bun. She looked distinctly annoyed. **

**"How did you know it was me?" she asked. **

**"My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly. "**

**"You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," lied Professor McGonagall . **

**"All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here. "**

**Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily. **

**"Oh yes, I've been celebrating, all right," she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no -- even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on the news. " She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls. . . shooting stars. . . Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent -- I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense. "**

** "You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years. "**

**"I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumours. " And it’s you who removed the muggle integration classes that teach wizards how to act in the muggle world, she thought irritably.**

**She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really has gone, Dumbledore?" Minnie lied again, remembering having a swearing contest with the man earlier.**

**"It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop?"**

**"A what?" Minerva was becoming incredibly irritated with the manipulative man.**

**"A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of. "**

**"No, thank you," said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for lemon drops. "As I say, even if You-Know-Who has gone--" she substituted You-Know-Who to Tommy and ‘gone’ to ‘killed by you’. She also swapped the lemon drops for ones loaded with vertisirum. **

**"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this 'You-Know-Who' nonsense -- for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: Voldemort. " Professor McGonagall rolled her eyes but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. "It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who. ' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name. "**

**"I know you haven't, '' said Professor McGonagall, sounding given-up as she knew it was Dumbledore that created the feared name. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know- oh, all right, Voldemort, was frightened of. "**

**"You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will never have. "**

**"Only because you're too -- well -- ‘noble’ to use them. " she snorted under her breath after that.**

**"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs. "**

**Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said "The owls are nothing next to the rumours that are flying around. Do you know what they're saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?"**

**It seemed to Dumbledore that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to get Dumbledore’s opinion on, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer. **

**"What they're saying," she pressed on, annoyed with his lack of response, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters. The rumour is that Lily and James Potter are -- are -- that they're -- dead. "**

**Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall’s eyes widened ever so slightly. **

**"Lily and James. . . I can't believe it. . . I didn't want to believe it. . . Oh, Albus. . . "**

**Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I know. . . I know. . . " he said heavily. **

**Professor McGonagall's voice trembled with laughter as she went on. "That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's ‘son’, Harry. But he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke -- and that's why he's gone. "**

**Dumbledore nodded glumly. **

**"It's -- it's true ?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all, he's done. . . all the people he's killed. . . he couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding. . . of all the things to stop him. . . but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?"**

**"We can only guess," said Dumbledore. "We may never know. "**

**Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles to hide a snort. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. The cat-woman understood it instantly and it must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"**

**"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places?"**

**"I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now. "**

**"You don't mean - you can't mean the people who live here ?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four, taking Benjamin’s request to a new level. "Dumbledore -- you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son -- I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry Potter comes and lives here!" she lied through her teeth.**

**"It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter. "**

**"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall, wondering how unstable Dumbledore was. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous -- a legend -- I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future -- there will be books written about Harry -- every child in our world will know his name!"**

**‘Though if they really wanted to write a book they should at least use the correct names,’ she mentally added.**

**"Exactly," said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?"**

**Professor McGonagall opened her mouth to swear at the man, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes -- yes, you're right, of course. But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it. She wouldn’t put it past him. **

**"Hagrid's bringing him. "**

**"You think it -- wise -- to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"**

**"I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore. **

**"I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall agreed grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to -- what was that?"**

**A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky -- and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them. Minerva rolled her eyes at the bike she gifted to Sirius after she was too old to still roar through the sky with a trail of fire shooting out the back.**

**If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild -- long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.**

** "Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?"**

**"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir. ", Did he, now, Minerva mentally questioned with a roll of her eyes.**

**"No problems, were there?"**

**"No, sir -- the house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarming around. He fell asleep as we were flying over Bristol. "**

**Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over its forehead, they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning. **

**"Is that where -- ?" whispered Professor McGonagall. **

**"Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever. " No she won’t, Minnie thought.**

**"Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?"**

**"Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground. Well -- give him here, Hagrid -- we'd better get this over with. "**

**Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys' house. **

**"Could I -- could I say good-bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog. **

**"Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "You'll wake the Muggles!"**

**"S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it -- Lily an' James dead -- an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles--"**

**"Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to the other two. For a full minute, the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out. **

**"Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations. "**

**"Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I'll be takin' Sirius his bike back. G'night, Professor McGonagall -- Professor Dumbledore, sir. "**

**Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar, it rose into the air and off into the night. **

**"I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply. **

**Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner, he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once, and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.**

** "Good luck, Harry," he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone. **

**A few moments after he had left, the emerald cloaked cat emerged from the shadows.**

**“And to think I had a small bit of trust left in him… “ she placed her hand on Harmony’s forehead and the scar glowed brightly before healing, “There, good luck Harmony, remember, your parents aren’t dead and things aren’t always what they seem.”**

**She then disappeared into the shadows of the night, soon to return, but not before removing all the enchantments Dumbledore put up and tucking fluffy violet blankets around the little baby girl.**

**A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harmony Potter-Prince-Peverall rolled over inside her blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and she slept on, not knowing she was special, not knowing she was famous, not knowing she would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs Dursley's annoyed but not shocked sniff as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that she would spend the next few weeks being soothed and taught by her cousin Diego. . . She didn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter -- the boy who lived!" And seventeen sat in secret, raising a glass and proclaiming, “To Harmony, our Princess.”**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Vanishing glass

**Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to find their niece on the front step, but Privet Drive had only slightly changed in other people’s opinion. The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number on every house except the Dursleys. For them the sun shone a tropical masterpiece of a front garden and made the brass number plate glow; it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr Dursley had seen that life-changing news report about the owls. Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed. Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-coloured bonnets -- but Diego Dursley was no longer a baby, and now the photographs showed a strong blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a carousel at the fair, playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother. The room held signs that another child lived in the house, too, and that was a row of awards and certificates marking impressive achievements for someone that should be at least 18: the names in curly black font. Around that were pictures of a girl being hugged by her family, learning to read and enjoying life.**

**Harmony Potter-Peverall-Prince was still there, asleep at the moment, but not for long. Her Aunt Iris was awake and it was her soft voice that made the first noise of the day. **

**"Harmony dear, up! Get up, Diego! Now please Harmony, sweetie!"**

**Harmony woke with a start. Her aunt rapped on her door again. **

**"Up!" She called up the stairs. Harmony heard her walking toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove. She rolled onto her back and tried to remember the dream she had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorcycle in it. She had a funny feeling that it wasn’t a dream. She would have to ask her parents about that later.**

**Her aunt was back outside the door. **

**"Are you up yet dear?" she asked. **

**"Nearly," said Harmony. **

**"Come on then, could you look after the bacon please? I know you won’t let it burn. I just want everything perfect on Diego’s birthday. "**

**Harmony smirked. **

**"I know your smirking Riri,” her aunt laughed through the door. **

**"Fine, I’ll get up!" she smiled to his aunts amusement as she walked away**

**Diego's birthday - how could he have forgotten that was today? Harmony slowly got rolled out of king-sized bed and headed over to the violet dresser to start looking for socks. She found a pair quickly and, after placing the spider off of them and onto the wall, put them on. Harmony liked spiders, they made great spies as no-one ever saw them. **

**When she was dressed - a tight emerald shirt with a short black skirt and silver heels - she went do wn the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Diego's birthday presents. It looked as though Diego had gotten the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike. Harmony understood why Diego wanted a racing bike, as Diego was one of the most athletic in his class - only beaten by Harmony herself. She didn't look it, but she was very fast. Possibly from the sparring practice with Uncle Benjamin since she could walk.**

**Some people who didn’t know Harmony would say it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but that was untrue. While the cupboard looked tiny on the outside, on the inside it contained a large apartment. She looked at least a year older than she actually was, as she was so tall and mature. Harmony had a regal face, a six pack, thick black hair that hung to her hips in loose waves, and strange glowing eyes. One eye was an emerald green with silver and dark blue rings while the other was dark purple and red with black rings. She used to wear glasses before her eyes healed overnight. The only thing she didn’t like about her appearance was the tattoos covering her back. They were really beautiful, don’t get her wrong, but it made some ask awkward questions whenever she forgot to wear her glamour. She had had them for as long as he could remember, and the first question she could ever remember asking his Aunt Iris was how he had gotten it.** **She had sighed and sat her down for a long explanation.**

**"When you were younger, there was a wizard, yes wizard I’ll explain later, who wanted to kill every witch or wizard who was born from at least one non-magical parents, who were called muggles or squibs." she had said. "I am a witch, same as your parents, and Benjamin is as well. We think Diego is a squib, which means his parents were magic but he isn’t. The bad wizard attempted to kill you, but accidentally caused your creature inheritance, one of them, to show early.”**

**Ask questions to learn -- that was the first rule for living with the Dursleys. **

**Uncle Benjamin entered the kitchen as Harmony was turning over the bacon.**

  
  


**"How’s your magic coming on?" he asked, by way of a morning greeting. **

**About once a week, Uncle Benjamin looked over the top of his newspaper and asked about magic. Growing up a pureblood, like Auntie Iris , Mami and Papi he knew what to expect of a developing magical child.**

**Harmony was frying eggs by the time Diego arrived in the kitchen with his mother. Diego looked a lot like UncleBenjamin . He had an angular tanned face, a strong neck, sky blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lay smoothly on his head. Aunt Iris often said that Diego looked like a baby angel -- Harmony often said that Diego looked like a stereotypical American. **

**Harmony put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as there wasn't much room. Diego, meanwhile, was counting his presents. His face split into a huge grin. **

**"Thirty-six," he said, looking up at his mother and father. "Thank you soo much!. "**

**"Darling, you got a present from everyone at school and Riri insisted on getting you something magical. "**

**Harmony had access to magical items as her Auntie Minnie was a professor at Hogwarts and looked after her when her magic became uncontrollable.**

**"All right! Thanks so much Ri!" grinned Diego, before going red in the face. **

**Aunt Iris obviously scented the difference, too, because she said quickly, "What’s wrong Diego?"**

**Diego looked up, "I was just embarrassed that I’m getting so much when others are getting nothing... "**

**"Oh sweetie, I doubt you’ll like everything so we can donate those you don’t like to other children," said Aunt Iris. **

**"Great! " Diego sat down and grabbed the nearest parcel. "All right then. "**

**Uncle Benjamin chuckled. **

**"Little tyke wants to help, just like his father. “Atta boy, Diego!” He ruffled his son’s hair. **

**At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Iris went to answer it while Harmony and Uncle Benjamin watched Diego unwrap the racing bike (from Iris), a video camera (From Benjamin), a remote control airplane (From Aunt Marie), sixteen new computer games (From the class), and a VCR (From the neighbors). He was ripping the paper off a magic wristwatch when Aunt Iris came back from the telephone looking both angry and worried. **

**"Bad news, Benjamin," she said. "Mrs Figg's broke her leg. She can't take Harmony. " She jerked her head in Harmony’s direction. **

**Diego smirked. Every year on his birthday, his parents took him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants, or for movies. Every year, Harmony was left behind with Mrs Figg, a mad old lady who lived two streets away. She hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs Figg made her look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned. Harmony had to stay with Mrs Figg after Iris detected magic on her to hate Harmony and assumed someone wanted him to grow up abused. She then had to act like she was abused around Mrs Figg, who Iris identified as one of her sister’s headmaster’s friends.**

**"Now what?" said Aunt Iris, looking gleefully at Harmony as their plan worked. Harmony knew she ought to feel sorry that Mrs Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy when she reminded herself it would be a whole year before she had to look at Tibbles, Snowy, Mr Paws, and Tufty again. And the whole fact she was spying, that wasn’t too enthralling either… **

**"We could phone Marie," Uncle Benjamin suggested, knowing it would look too suspicious if they took her without looking at any alternatives. **

**"Don't be silly, Benjamin, she ** ** _‘hates’ _ ** **the ** ** _‘boy’_ ** **. "**

**The Dursleys often spoke about Harmony like this around Mrs Figg, as though she wasn't there - or rather, as though ** ** _he _ ** **was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug. Marie actually loved the boy but she couldn’t take him as she was breeding dragons in Romania.**

**"What about what's-her-name, your friend -- Yvonne?"**

**"On vacation in Majorca," grinned Aunt Iris.**

**"She’s stopped watching now" Harmony put in. **

**Aunt Iris looked as though she'd just won the lottery. **

**"Bout time!" she snarled. **

**"I won't go to school with Dumbledore as the Headmaster,” said Harmony, but they already knew that.**

**"We can take you to the zoo," said Aunt Iris slowly, "just keep a glamour up so your appearance isn’t too different to how they expect. "**

**"What do they expect? "**

**Diego began to cry loudly. In fact, he wasn't really crying -- it had been years since he'd really cried -- but he knew how to signal to his parents that the annoying cat lady was watching. **

**"Dinky Duddydums, don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil your special day!" she cried, flinging her arms around him, internally laughing at being able to still do this without Diego judo throwing her off. **

**"I. . . don't. . . want. . . him. . . t-t-to come!" Diego yelled between huge, pretend sobs. "He always sp-spoils everything!" He shot Harmony an apologetic look through the gap in his mother's arms. **

**Just then, the doorbell rang.**

**"Oh, good, they're here!" said Aunt Iris frantically, and a moment later, Diego's best friend, Noctus Longbottom, walked in with his mother. Noctus was a strong boy with a constant coating of mud from time in the greenhouse. He was usually the one who got second best in every class, behind Harmony of course. Diego stopped pretending to cry at once. **

**Half an hour later, Harmony, who was plotting ways to keep Mrs Figg occupied, was sitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Noctus and Diego, on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life. His aunt and uncle had promised to let her parents take her another time and before they'd left, Uncle Benjamin had taken Harmony aside. The whole family had glamours to fool Mrs Figg.**

**"Remember to keep the glamor, yeah like your Papi but with you Mami’s eyes," he had said, putting his now large and purple face right up close to Harmony's incase Figg was watching, "See if you can talk to any of the animals, your Mami was a beast speaker, which meant she could talk to any animals,"**

**"I know I can talk to snakes, Papi taught me how to," said Harmony, "not sure about other animals though. "**

**Uncle Benjamin nodded. **

**Strange things often happened around Harmony, so it was likely she was a beast speaker because it was rather rare. **

**Once, Mrs Figg took her to the barbers, in her glamour and the end result looked like someone had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair really short. The next morning, however, after plotting a death, she had gotten up to find her hair exactly as it had been before Mrs Figg had abused it. She had been given a week in her cupboard for this, so her parents had a safe place to teach her about her metamorphsis abilities. She could now change every aspect of her appearance, including gender, which came in useful around spying neighbours… **

**Another time, Mrs Figg had been trying to force him into a revolting old sweater from her cupboard (red with gold puff balls). The harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harmony. Aunt Iris complimented her on wandless magic and muttered something about ‘house colours’. **

**However, she'd gotten his biggest praise yet for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Diego's gang had been playing tag with her as usual during lunch when, as much to Harmony's surprise as anyone else's, there he was sitting on the chimney. The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Harmony's headmistress telling them Harmony had been climbing school buildings. But all she'd tried to do (as he explained to a beaming Uncle and Aunt) was to try that weird way of travel his aunt often used. Her parents came to celebrate that, but coldn’t stay long due to demanding jobs.**

**But today, nothing was going to go wrong. Mrs Figg couldn’t follow them to the zoo without looking suspicious. **

**While he drove, Uncle Benjamin spoke to Harmony. He liked to find out Harmony’s opinion on things, as the girl was unusually intelligent for his age. This morning, it was motorcycles. **

**". . . roaring along without a care in the world. Looks amazing," he said, as a motorcycle overtook them. **

**"I had a dream about one," said Harmony, remembering suddenly. "It was flying. "**

**Uncle Benjamin frowned deeply. "Dream or reality?"**

**Diego and Noctus grinned. **

**"Reality," said Harmony. "Several occasions i think... " she trailed off, thinking.**

**If there was one thing the Dursleys loved even more than her asking questions, it was her talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon - they seemed to think she was unbelievably powerful for his age. So did her parents.**

**It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursleys bought Diego and Noctus large chocolate ice creams at the entrance and then bought Harmony a small bag of sweets as she wasn't too fond of ice cream.They weren't bad, either, Harmony thought, considering it was cheap and probably not that healthy. Chewing on one, she watched a gorilla scratching its head who he thought looked remarkably like Diego in his disguise, except that it wasn't blond. **

**Harmony had the best morning she'd had in a long time. She was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys in case someone close to Mrs Figg saw him. They ate in the zoo restaurant, and Diego shared a bowl of cheesy nachos with Harmony and Noctus.**

**Harmony felt, afterward, that she should’ve started trying to talk to animals by now. **

**After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in there, with lit windows all along the walls. Harmony liked it. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Diego and Noctus wanted to see snakes. Diego quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Benjamin's car and crushed it into a trash can -- but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep. **

**Diego stood with his nose almost pressed against the glass, staring in awe at the glistening green coils. **

**"It’s gorgeous," he whispered to his father. Uncle Benjamin stared through the glass, the snake still didn't budge. **

**"Harmony? Can you ask if it’s happy here?” Diego asked quietly. Uncle Benjamin stepped out the way to let Harmony get nearer. **

**"Let me know if he does something?," Diego asked. He shuffled away. **

**Harmony moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. She wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom - no company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. **

**The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Harmony's. **

**It smiled. **

**Harmony grinned. Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake and smiled, too. **

**The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Benjamin and Diego, then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harmony a look that said quite plainly:**

**"I get that all the time. "**

**"I know," Harmony hissed through the glass, though he wasn't sure the snake could hear her. "But they just want to help. Do you need help? "**

**The snake nodded vigorously. **

**"Where do you come from, anyway?" Harmony asked. **

**The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harmony peered at it. **

**Boa Constrictor, Brazil. **

**"Was it nice there?"**

**The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harmony read on: This specimen was bred in the zoo. "It’s a shame, Brazil is a lovely country. Would you like to visit soon?"**

**As the snake nodded its head, a shout behind Harmony made both of them jump. "Diego! Look!"**

**Diego came walking toward them as fast as he could. **

**"That’s amazing, can you free him" he said accidentally pushing Harmony in his excitement. Harmony fell hard on the concrete floor. What came next happened so fast no one saw how it happened - one second, Noctus and Diego were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of laughter. **

**Harmony sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished. The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed (she thought it was stupid and immature) and started running for the exits. **

**As the snake slid swiftly past him, Harmony heard a low, hissing voice said, "Brazil, here I come. . . Thanksss, amigo. "**

**The keeper of the reptile house was in shock. **

**"But the glass," he kept saying, "where did the glass go?"**

**The zoo director himself made Aunt Iris a cup of strong, sweet tea while he apologized over and over again. Noctus and Diego could only stay silent to stop themselves from bursting into laughter.. As far as Harmony had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except snap playfully at their heels as it passed, with both boys laughing and talking all the way back to the car. Noctus soon calmed down enough to say, "Harmony was talking to it, weren't you, Harmony?"**

**Uncle Benjamin waited until Noctus was out of the house before turning to Harmony. He was so proud he could hardly speak. When he got his voice back the first thing he asked was, “Was it just snakes, or… ?”**

**“Every animal!” Harmony exclaimed happily, before returning to his room to read one of his mother’s old books, this one was on laws!**

**He'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten happy years, as long as he could remember, ever since he'd been a baby and his parents had faked their death. He couldn't remember being in the house when it happened. Sometimes, when she strained her memory during long hours in the night, she came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light and a burning pain on his forehead. This, he supposed, was the spell, though he couldn't imagine where all the blue twinkling eyes came from.Neither of his parents had blue eyes. His aunt and uncle provided lots of information about them, but it wasn’t the same as when she got to spend a weekend with them once a month - their jobs were too busy to allow any extra time. There were no photographs of them in the house incase Mrs Figg dropped in.**

  
  


**When she had been younger, Harmony had dreamed and dreamed of several adults being her parents; the Dursleys always just smiled and told her to wait and see. Sometimes she thought there was more to her parents world than her aunt, uncle and parents told her. Somehow strangers in the street seemed to know her when she looked like a boy. Very strange strangers they were, too. A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to him once while out shopping with Aunt Iris and Diego. After asking Harmony if he knew the man, Aunt Iris had continued to shop with only a small smile appearing. A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had waved merrily at him once on a bus. A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken his hand in the street the other day and then walked away without a word. She thought she heard her aunt mutter ‘Kingsly’. The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harmony tried to get a closer look. Harmony thought it was that weird teleporting travel that his aunt used.**

**At school, Harmony was the most popular kid. She was beautiful, smart, funny and caring. The only thing she couldn’t be in public, was herself.**

  
  


**Chapter 3 Letters from No One**

**The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Harmony her longest-ever lesson time in the cupboard room. By the time she was allowed out, the summer holidays had started and Diego had already donated his new video camera, his remote control airplane, and accidentally ran the wrong way on his racing bike knocking down old Mrs Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her crutches. Iris and Benjamin were too busy trying not to laugh to lecture him.**

**Harmony was sad school was over, as she loved to learn. Dudly’s gang visited the house every day. Noctus, Draconis, Katherin, and Bailey were all strong and witty , but as Diego was the strongest and smartest of the lot, he was the leader. She did feel something towards Coco though. The rest of them were all quite happy to join in Diego's favorite sport, shooting with his dad down the range.**

**Harmony spent as much time as possible out of the house, wandering around and thinking about the end of the holidays, where she could return to school and stop pretending. When September came she would be going off to secondary school and, for the first time in his life, she wouldn't be with Diego. Diego had been accepted at Uncle Benjamin's old private school, Smeltings. Noctus Longbottom was supposedly going there too. Harmony, on the other hand, was going to Stonewall High, the local public school. Diego thought this was unfortunate, but knew it would raise too much attention from those who wanted Harmony abused.**

**"They stuff people's heads down the toilet the first day at Stonewall," he joked to Harmony. "Want to come upstairs and practice?"**

**"No, thanks," said Harmony. "The poor toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it -- it might be sick. " That caused Dudly to burst into laughter and clap her on the back.**

**One day in July, Aunt Iris took Diego to London to buy his Smeltings uniform, having no choice but to leave Harmony at Mrs Figg's. Mrs Figg wasn't as bad as usual. It turned out she'd broken her leg tripping over one of her cats, and she didn't seem quite as fond of them as before. She let Harmony watch television and gave her a bit of chocolate cake that tasted as though she'd had it for several years. Probably had numerous potions in it too… **

**That evening, Diego paraded around the living room for the family in his brand-new uniform. Smeltings' boys wore red blazers, black trousers, and flat straw hats called boaters. They also carried polished sticks, used for pointing and correcting others' posture. This was supposed to be good training for later life. It was also merely coincidental that Smeltings was a school for squibs only that focussed on law.**

**As he looked at Diego in his new uniform, Uncle Benjamin said gruffly that it was the proudest moment of his life. Aunt Iris burst into tears and said she couldn't believe it was her Ickle Diegokins, he looked so handsome and grown-up. Harmony agreed that it was a good uniform, and it suited Dudly.**

**There was a fresh, flowery smell in the kitchen the next morning when Harmony went in for breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. He went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in gray water.**

**"What's this?" he asked Aunt Iris. Her lips smiled as they always did if she asked a question.**

**"Both of your old school uniforms," she said.**

**Harmony looked in the bowl again.**

**"Oh," he said, "I didn't realize it had to be so wet. "**

**"I’ll dry it," laughed Aunt Iris. "I’m not just going to throw away perfectly good clothes that someone else could use. These are going to Mrs Bell at No. 6."**

**Harmony agreed, but thought Mrs Bell would need more uniforms than two. She sat down at the table and tried not to think about how she was going to look on his first day at Stonewall High without the correct uniform. Aunt Iris still hadn’t explained why she didn’t get the correct uniform.**

**Diego and Uncle Benjamin came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell from the old uniform. Uncle Benjamin opened his newspaper as usual and Diego tapped his Smelting stick, which he carried everywhere, on the table.**

**They heard the click of the mail slot and flop of letters on the doormat.**

**"Get the mail, Diego," said Uncle Benjamin from behind his paper.**

**"But I’m hungry! "**

**"I’ll get it "**

**"You sure Harmony? "**

**"Yeah. Woah! Mind the stick Diego!"**

**Harmony dodged the Smelting stick and went to get the mail. Several things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Benjamin's sister Marie, who was vacationing on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill, and numerous letters for Harmony.**

**Harmony picked them up and stared at it, wondering who had written. No one, ever, in her whole life, had written to her. Why would they? She had no friends who lived far away, no other relatives - she didn't belong to the library, so she'd never even got rude notes asking for books back. Yet here it was, five letters, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake, but two letters were clearly different from the others. The first read:**

**Mr Harry Potter **

**The Cupboard under the Stairs **

**4 Privet Drive **

**Little Whinging** ** **

**Surrey ** ** **

**The different envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp. It was the only one addressed to Mr Potter**

**Turning the envelope over, Harmony saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter H.**

**The next was different. It read:**

**Lady Harmony Sakiris Hogwarts-Potter-Peverall-Prince-Black-Lupin-Malfoy-Prewett-Longbottom-Fawley-Shafiq-Weasley-Evana**

**Heir of Merlin and Morganna **

**Empress of Magical and Mundane Europe, Africa, Asia and North America**

**Queen of Creatures**

**The back was like that of a normal letter, yet it held a crest with swirling dust surrounding it. There was no other writing.**

**"Come on Harmony! Breakfast’s getting cold!" shouted Uncle Benjamin from the kitchen. "What are you doing, checking for letter bombs?" He chuckled at his own joke.**

**Harmony went back to the kitchen, still staring at her second letter. She handed Uncle Benjamin the bill and the postcard, sat down, and slowly began to open the white envelope, placing the others on the table.**

**Uncle Benjamin ripped open the bill, snorted in amusement, and flipped over the postcard.**

**"Marie’s ill," he informed Aunt Iris. "Clawed by a dragon. . . "**

**"Dad!" said Diego suddenly. "Dad, Harmony's got a funny letter!"**

**Harmony was on the point of unfolding his letter, which was written on the same paper as the envelope when it was pulled gently out of her hand by Aunt Iris.**

**"It arrived today," said Harmony, sitting back to see her Aunt.**

**"Did you get any others?" she asked and Harmony frowned.**

**He nodded and gestured to the letters on the table. Iris flicked her wrist and all the envelopes shot open, the letters hovering at head height.**

  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
